*Author Note*

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has been following this fic! I just wanted to take a couple of moments to touch on a few things. I know that the power levels aren't 100% either canon or in your opinion where they should be, please don't get hung up on the powerlevels it's meant more for comparison then only other thing I wanted to touch on was Pan's strength. In this fic Pan will start out as child and throughout the series grow into one of the main protagonists. In this version I'm going to make Pan have that same hidden power that her father possesses to explain her incredible strength for her age. However regardless of her strength she has little to no training, something that will be addressed as the fic goes on. Anyways enough of my rambling I hope you've enjoyed thus far and like what I have in store!

Eighteen let out a soft sigh as the hot water from the shower served to alleviate some of the tension in her body. She brushed the wet hair from her face as she momentarily offered herself a once over. There was a reason why many referred to her as a deadly beauty. She had long shapely legs and hips, with a generous swell for a bottom. Her waist was narrow, Her breasts were ample but defied gravity and were not at all out of place with the rest of her frame. The only thing that marred her body was a few scars one along her stomach, another along the back of her right leg and a third along her left thigh.

The woman frowned slightly. Eighteen did have a level of vanity especially about her personal appearance, however she still struggled with the fact that she seemed untouched by time. She leaned forward a moment as she stared closer at the mirror that was beginning to fog up. She brushed her hand across the surface as she inspected her face. There wasn't even a sign of aging. No wrinkles to be found. She'd almost come to appreciate her scars, they in some part made her feel...more real.

Her reverie was broken by a knock on the door.

"Uh...Mom says supper is about ready." A male voice said from the other side.

Eighteen slowly tilted her head towards the door as she found her voice. "I don't eat that much anyways. Go on...I'll be there in a few minutes."

There was a pause from the other side of the door followed by a sigh. "I'll just wait..."

The Blonde frowned as she reached forward and turned the shower head off, before stepping out of the tub.

She wordlessly and quickly dried herself off, she wrapped a dry towel around herself, before opening the door and peering out into the hallway.

Almost immediately she caught sight of Trunks starring at her with a bewildered expression, before promptly adverting his gaze to the ground.

If she wasn't so annoyed about having to have her girl time cut short she would have found the gesture almost endearing if not cute. Instead she decided to vent her frustration. "Why are you watching me like a hawk? Didn't we already establish that if I was still out to cause trouble that I would have already?"

Trunks seemed to collect himself a bit though he didn't yet quite meet her gaze. "Though it's all still hard for me to believe, I'm trying to process all of that." he managed, before he quickly raised his gaze till he was looking in her in the eye.

"No this is about Cell...if he's still out there, if there's even a small chance, I can't risk him getting you. As it stands if he is alive I should be able to handle him in his current form, but if he were to absorb you. " he let the implication hang in the air a moment.

Eighteen sighed. "So how long do you intend to stay glued to me? " she asked as she rested a hand upon the curve of her hip.

Trunks shuffled uncomfortably as he crossed his arms. "Just long enough to be sure that Cell really is gone. Trust me I'm not happy about this either." he grumbled.

Eighteen wordlessly began walking down the hallway, before stopping in front of a door as she glanced over her shoulder. Trunks had followed in stride behind her.

Eighteen regarded him a moment before smirking. "Fine but you wait outside my room while I change.." she tilted her head to the side, before her smirk deepened. "Unless you want to help me get dressed big guy?" she said suggestively as she offered a wink, before parting the door in front of her open and slipping inside, leaving a flustered and irritated Half-Saiyan standing there.

A short time later Trunks, Bulma, and Eighteen found themselves seated discussing the day's events and what lay ahead.

"I see why you're still concerned. From what you've said this Cell character is resourceful. " Bulma mused as she crossed her arms as she glanced between Eighteen who had a rather bored expression as she rested her chin on her hand while Trunks who'd given himself a wide berth from the blonde was still scarfing down dinner well after the two women had finished eating.

"Yeagh Iwanna makes ure hees weally gwone" Trunks said with his mouthful as he looked up a moment from the turkey leg he was devouring and at the two women.

Eighteen made a disgusted look while Bulma looked slightly amused.

"Son why don't you try that again without food in your mouth?"

"Please listen to her. You look like more of a Half-Pig then Half-Saiyan right now." EIghteen remarked.

Trunks shot the blonde a dirty look, before swallowing and wiping his mouth.

"What I was trying to say is, I just want to make sure he's really gone. If he's still out there and he manages to get her." he motioned over at the blonde, before continuing. " It's all over for the Earth, I'm not strong enough yet to beat Cell in his perfect form."

Bulma nodded. "I see your point son, but what I've been working on is time sensitive. With a power source we only need one more thing before we should be ready to travel to New Namek. I'm hoping the Nameks will allow us to use their Dragonballs just this once. Those Three wishes could be invaluable."

"What else do you need and how much longer do you think you'll need before we'll be able to leave?"

Bulma tapped her chin momentarily before speaking. "Well I'd say maybe a couple of weeks. I want to make sure this thing is stable. As for what else I need that should be simple as the old man is still kicking."

"Old man?" Trunks questioned.

"Did you ever get a chance to meet Master Roshi while you were in the other timeline hun?"

"Well yeah in passing. He seemed nice enough if not a bit on the...well-"

"He was a huge pervert right?" Bulma suggested before laughing.

Trunks allowed for a small smile. "Yeah no doubt. But what does Master Roshi have to do with us getting this ship into the sky?"

"Nothing..well I mean we don't need him for the ship, but for information. "

"I don't understand mom." Trunks admitted.

"Allow me to explain. Truth be told I'm not sure exactly where New Namek is, however Roshi's sister is apparently well connected in otherworld and could easily get this information for us. It's simple enough I just need you to pay the old man a visit and ask him to reach out to his sister. I know the old goat has his ways."

"I could go tomorrow then and ask him then."

"Don't expect me to go with you." Eighteen remarked.

"You'll go with me or I'll drag you along Android.." Trunks countered with a stare.

"Don't be an idiot do you think your mom's old friends are going to throw the door open and want to talk to you with me standing there? I'm trying to be helpful but I go with you I'll only cause trouble for you."

"She's probably right Trunks. If you're so adamant about Lazuli not being left without protection, I have an idea. Why don't you hold off on that trip to Roshi's until I've finished the last of my preparations here? By then you should know if Cell is still out there or is really gone right?"

Trunks mulled it over a moment, before sighing. "I guess that's acceptable. I can't risk leaving her unguarded." he grumbled, before running a hand through his hair as he decided to change subjects.

"So what's the plan with the wishes mom? Aren't their limitations or something? We can't just wish everyone back can we?" he asked as a sad expression appeared on his face.

Bulma slowly shook her head. "No...the Namekians from the time they spent here explained that Porunga cannot revive anyone who's been dead longer then a year. "

"But still even though we can't restore those who've been dead for years we could still save millions and little Pan could at least grow up knowing her mother."

"You're right it's about salvaging everything we can and trying to start over..." he mused as he eyed the blonde out of the corner of his eye who had a somewhat sad expression on her face as she sat with her hands laced and her face bowed.

'Does she really regret everything she's done. I never really noticed until I came back just how human like she can be.' Trunks shook his head a moment banishing the thought as he found his voice again.

"So what about the other two wishes?"

Bulma tapped her chin. "Well for the second wish we should ask Porunga to restore the Earth as it was before the Android's first attacked. We might not be able to wish all the people back, but we can undo the damage to the Earth and restore the infrastructure the planet will need to get back on it's feet."

Trunk's eyes widened. "Wow...you've really thought alot about this mom. Have to say it would be incredible to see the Earth whole again. What about the last wish?"

At this EIghteen spoke up as she tiled her head up. "I want to ask this Dragon to remove any memory of the Androids from the minds of the rest of the world."

Trunk's eyes widened. "You can't be serious? You just want everything you've done to be wiped clean like it never happened?"

Eighteen bowed her head slightly though she set her jaw. "It's not just a matter of wiping things clean. The people of this planet will never forgive me for what I've done no matter what I do to try and change that. This is a chance for me to start over. "

Trunks stared at her a moment, before something clicked in his mind. "I know what you're really worried about. You don't want that little girl to know the truth. You want to be able to continue acting like her big sister or mother without her learning that her father was killed by you and her mother was killed by one of your kind. "

Eighteen immediately stood up her fists balled up. "Don't you dare compare me and Cell! We are not alike. As for Pan you have no idea what it feels like to have her worship you while knowing that you've caused her so much pain. " she gritted her teeth as her eyes began to tear up earning a bewildered look from the Half-Saiyan as the blonde turned and without another word bolted out of the room. A bang which shook the house followed a few moments later as the door to Eighteen's room was slammed shut.

Trunks sat there in silence. He was so overloaded by everything since returning home, but all of that aside he felt numb. Her tears had looked so real as had her anger and myriad of other emotions. He still wasn't sure if she could be trusted by any means, but there was one thing he was certain of...she was more than machine.

"Trunks why did you have to do that?" Bulma asked exasperated.

The Half-Saiyan himself was confused. Partly because he felt guilty while another part felt angry at himself for being guilty about anything that caused one of the androids pain. It wasn't that simple though. At least not anymore she wasn't just some heartless machine that he could dehumanize anymore. "I don't know. I guess I'm still just so bitter and I expect the worst out of thei-.." he paused a moment. "Those tears looked so real." he said suddenly.

Bulma sighed. "It's because they were real. It's what I keep trying to tell you Trunks. She was a normal girl once. I bet Lazuli was her name before Gero got his hands on her and her brother."

"I think she suggested that to me earlier. I just couldn't accept it. I've seen her only as a thing for so long...to now see her as a human, as a woman. It's just..." he trailed off, before he stood up and pushed his chair aside.

Bulma regarded with a concerned look. "Son where are you going?"

Trunks looked back at her with a tired smile. "To apologize for starters. If you told me that this was how today would end. Jeez." he mused as he shook his head before turning away.

"You're a good man son. Just remember that everyone deserves a second chance."

Trunks bowed his head slightly, but said nothing further as he made his way out of the room.

Far to the North Cell stood in the remains of the doctor Gero's lab.

Cell stared at his hands a moment before clenching his fists. He now stood well over eight feet tall. His body mass had continued to expand to the point that he was physically built similiar to Trunk's Ultra form. As such his power had increased immensly however his speed had not and if anything had been slowed by his increased size, a weakness he'd already recognized.

'This body is powerful, but it is ultimately flawed. After the last battle I had with Trunks I have no idea how much power he was holding back. Without my Perfect form I cannot afford to slip up or take any unnecessary risks. I will use the opportunity I've been given to absorb more lifeforms until an opportunity presents itself.

The Half-Saiyan sighed as he reached the bedroom door. He paused there for a moment, before finally raising his hand as he knocked on the door. Several seconds passed with no response, before finally the door cracked open as the blonde inside peered out with a somewhat cold expression on her face.

"What are you here to lecture me some more? I promise I don't need any reminders of just how much I've fucked up Trunks. Or maybe you decided you'd make things easier and just destroy me. I know that you want to. Why shouldn't you? If Cell is out there still he'll never be able to reach his perfect form and if he is dead you at least don't have to worry about the 'Android' going rogue."

Trunks took a deep breath before exhaling. "None of the above actually. I...I uh look I'm..sorry. I really want to believe that you've changed and give you that chance, it's just hard for me. I have a lot of bitterness that I'm having to come to terms with. My mother has told me how many of the old Z-fighters use to be completely different people. Yamcha was bandit, Piccolo was a monster and once was intent on taking over the world, and of course my Father probably killed Billions as a Saiyan warrior under Frieza and he throughly enjoyed most of it. I don't know if we'll ever be able to move past everything that's happened between us, but I'm willing to try." he said as he tried to force a smile.

The Blonde eyes widened marginally, before she slowly offered a curt nod of her head. "Trying is a good place to start." she mused as she took step back and opened up the door. "So how do you want to do this guard duty of yours? "

Trunks rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I'll just grab some blankets and a pillow and sleep right outside your door.."

Eighteen shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous there's a huge bed in here."

Trunk's mouth fumbled a moment. "B-bed?"

Eighteen supressed a tiny smirk. "Yes a Bed. But if it's too scary for you to sleep in the same bed there's a small couch. It's your choice."

Trunks felt his pride sting a bit at that. "Uh the couch is fine..." he mumbled.

"Alright then big guy...why don't you grab a shower first? No offense but I can smell you from here " she teased as she reached out and lightly prodded his chest with her index finger.

Trunks blinked before flushing faintly at that. "Uh right. I'll be back soon." he said, before turning away from the door.

Nearly half an hour later the Half-Saiyan would return refreshed and wearing a Simple T-Shirt and shorts. As he pushed the door to the room open he paused like a deer caught in the headlights as he saw Eighteen laying on her stomach wearing only a lacy pair of panties and bra. Her legs were elevated and crossed behind her as she gazed down at what appeared to be some old book.

Trunks bowed his head after a moment. "Sorry. I didn't mean to...what I mean is I can leave if you need to get dressed." he said in a hurried manner earning a chuckle from the woman on the bed.

"Wow who knew the powerful Super Saiyan was so timid? Trunks you're fine I just prefer to sleep with little to no layers. I hate the feeling of fabric bunching up while I'm in bed." she mused as she scrunched her nose up slightly.

'That is a mental image I do not need.' Trunks thought to himself as he shuffled uncomfortably as he adjusted the blanket over his shoulder, before he trudged forward towards the nearby couch, before uncermoniously collapsing upon it. "You know I'm not timid. It's just I've never seen a real woman like that." he finally said though he refrained from glancing over at the bed.

Eighteen was quiet for a moment as she closed the book in front of her as she peered over at the couch. "So I guess you've never. Well you know...with another person?" she said allowing the implication to hang.

Trunks blinked furiously as he by instinct glanced up and immediately regretted it as he quickly adverted his gaze again. "I...well no, but to be fair. I've never had the time to give it much thought. I've had other priorties. " he said as he fell silent a moment, before deciding to put the blonde on the defensive.

"What about you?"

Eighteen laughed at his reaction, before adopting a thoughtful expression . "Can't say to be haven't since I was turned into...well I became what I am now, I can't remember anything about before all of that other than my name so who knows?"

Trunks processed what she said a moment, before responding. "That reminds me...my mom called you Lazuli earlier. Would you prefer me call you that or Eighteen?"

The blonde blinked clearly surprised by the shift in subject. "I think I prefer Lazuli. It's a name...it means something. Eighteen...well that's only a name that a very sick man gave me."

"Alright Lazuli it is then. If nothing else at least we both can say we agree on the fact we hate Cell and Gero."

"It's a start.." Lazuli mused as she allowed for a small smile.

The hours ticked by as the blonde drifted into sleep leaving the Half-Saiyan wide awake. Normally he would have no trouble sleeping, but between the uncertainty with Cell's fate, the uncomfortable situation with Lazuli and lumps in the couch had done little to expeditate sleep. Just as he neared some form of unconciousness a voice once again seized his attention.

"N-no...stay back you monster! "

Immediately the half Saiyan bolted up right as he expected to come face to face with Cell only to be met with confusion as he saw the blonde cyborg tossing in her sleep her face contorted with a pained expression.

Trunks was quiet a moment as he curiously watched her thrash once more before muttering something in her sleep.

'It seems like she's having a nightmare.' he mused to himself before frowning.

He should have felt some sense of enjoyment in her feeling pain or fear. And yet as he watched her toss and turn he felt something more akin to pity. 'She looks so helpless...and normal. It's hard to believe her hands are covered in so much blood.' he took a deep breath as he remembered their earlier conversation about second chances.

Trunks wordlessly strode forward, before cautiously leaning down as he outstretched his hand. He swallowed almost like he expected to be bitten as he lightly shook the blonde's shoulder. Confused blue eyes shot open as the blonde sat up with a start, pulling the covers up with her as her breathing was irregular as she stared at him a long moment in silence. "Just...a dream." she breathed.

"I'm sorry did I wake you?" she asked as she looked up at the Half-Saiyan in the dimly lit room.

Trunks shook his head. "No it's been a long day. Couldn't shut my brain off." he mused as he offered a faint smile. "Just noticed you seemed to be having a bad dream. I've had a few of those myself over the years. Wish I could have been woke up from a few of those." he chuckled darkly, before rubbing at his eyes.

The blonde regarded him a moment, before offering a tired smile. "Thank you. You saved me from the worst part of that dream."

Trunks blinked. "I take it you're having the same dream a lot?"

The blonde averted her gaze. "A few different ones, but that one the most yeah." she said as her voice trailed off.

Trunks sighed as he rubbed his forehead a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." she said almost immediately.

"But thank you for asking." she added a few seconds later.

Trunks nodded as he began to turn away. "I guess I'm going to try and get to get some sleep now."

Her voice stopped him however. "Trunks?"

"Hmm?" he responded groggily as he looked back at her.

The blonde fidgeted a moment almost looking bashful as she stared at the Half-Saiyan. "Would you sleep with me?"

Trunk's eyes grew as saucers. "W-what in the hell are you saying?!" he sputtered.

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "Oh for the love of...I don't mean like that. I just..." she paused a moment before sighing. "Panny sleeps with me a lot. She has a lot of bad dreams too. It helps us both." she said softly.

"I just thought the bed would be a lot more comfortable then sleeping on that small couch and the company would be...welcome. But I understand...you've already been overloaded enough for one day. I shouldn't have asked." she said as she let herself fall back onto the bed.

What she didn't expect was for the Half-Saiyan to slowly and carefully pull the covers out, before inching into the large bed. He took care to distance from the woman, but nevertheless he'd complied with her wishes.

There was a long moment of silence, before the blonde let out a soft chuckle. "You know I don't bite."

Trunks grumbled. "This is hard enough for me as it is. Don't push it. I know you're not wearing much under there so there's your space...and this is my side"

Lazuli suppressed a smirk. "You're right thank you Trunks. Hope you sleep well."

Trunks grunted in response. 'Yeah as if...' he mused to himself.

'A difficult end...to a difficult day...' he thought, before finally in the wee hours of the night sleep finally took him...

*POWERLEVELS*

Super-Semi Perfect Cell: (?)

Pan: Base Form: 4,000,000, / SS Form: 200,000,000

Trunks: Base Form: 10,400,000 /SS Form: 520,000,000 / Ascended SS: 780,000,000/ Ultra 1,004,000,000

Android 18: 300,000,000